The need for volunteers was the focus of a program presented to the Rotary Club of Jones County by a representative of the American Red Cross.

Donna Lee is the emergency services program manager for the Central Georgia Chapter and lives in Jones County. She spoke to the club at its March 12 meeting.

She began her presentation with the story of why she began volunteering. She said her father was run over by a drunk driver on a four-wheeler while he was walking down the road.

It took an ambulance 22 minutes to arrive at the scene, but local rescue volunteers were there quickly and made the difference in his survival.

“They took care of him and had him stabilized when the ambulance arrived,” Lee said.

The manager said she started volunteering at with the fire department and was actually approached by the Red Cross to be a liaison between the fire department and the agency to get help for families who have suffered a disaster.